International Students

Overseas Travel

When you travel, make sure you carry any official letters we’ve given you, and keep your passport and visa secure at all times. If they’re lost or stolen, you will not be permitted to return to the UK and you’ll have to return to your home country to apply for a new passport.

You should also be able to show immigration staff that you have enough money to support yourself.

There’s no reason why you can’t travel out of the UK during the holiday periods as long as you have the necessary documents to satisfy the Immigration staff at the port of entry that you meet the requirements for entry to the UK as a student.

Before you travel abroad you should:

Check that your passport won’t be expiring while you’re away. If it will be, apply for a new one in plenty of time before your trip, and carry both passports with you when you travel.

Check that your current leave to enter or remain in the UK won’t be expiring while you’re away. If it expires, you might not be allowed back in the UK. You can’t extend your leave to remain when you re-enter the UK. If in doubt, see the International Student and Welfare Advisor.

Check with the Embassy of the country you intend to visit whether or not you’ll need a separate visa to travel there. If you do need one, apply for a visitor visa at the Embassy in plenty of time. The Embassy websites should give you all the information you need.

If you’re travelling within Europe, apply for a Schengen visa to the Embassy of the country you plan to spend most time in, or the country you’ll go to first. You’ll need a specific letter from the Registry confirming your student status. Each Embassy will have their own application form, and you’ll need to check their website to find out what procedures you need to follow.

Once you’ve finished studying at SOAS, you’ll no longer meet the requirements for entry as a student. So we strongly advise against trying to re-enter the UK after your studies have finished. If you do try, you could be refused entry, or at best admitted as a visitor (non-visa nationals only).

If you’re planning to switch to another visa category after your studies, we advise that you do this first before travelling.

Don’t assume that you can easily re-enter the UK under your student visa if you’re no longer a student.